He Gave His Only Son

John 3:16
June 5, 2022
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

John 3:16 is the most well-known verse in the Bible. Many Christians have memorized it. And many non-Christians know of it. I’m glad to talk to you today about this one verse - this one verse that is just full of wonderful truth about our salvation in Christ.

The structure of this sermon is made of three parts. First, we’ll consider how God the Father loved the world. Second, we’ll consider how God the Father gave his only Son Jesus Christ. And third and finally, we’ll consider the good news of eternal life.

First, John 3:16 begins with these heart-warming words: “For God so loved the world….” This is amazing. Think about it. God loved us. God loved you. And his love was the reason why he gave you his Son Jesus.

Now, you may want to think that you are quite lovable. But the honest truth is that you were not lovable at all. For the verse does not say, “For God so loved the lovable.” No. Instead, the verse says, “For God so loved… the world.”

The word “world” is very intentional and very meaningful. It refers to sinners. It refers to sinners in general, sinners overall. The world refers to all of us before we were saved, before we repented of our sins and believed in Jesus. The world is all of us who were once fallen from God and separated from God. All of us who opposed God and rebelled against God. Therefore, the word “world” makes it very clear that we were not lovable at all.

But the amazing thing is that God the Father loved us. God loved sinners. God loved us even though we sinned against him. God loved you when you were fallen and separated from him. God loved you when you opposed him and when you rebelled against him. God so loved the world. This is absolutely amazing. Because God the Father should not love us. After all that we have done. After all of our sins. We do not deserve love at all. We deserve the opposite. But God loved us. “For God so loved the world.”

Dear Highland, this is so important to know. And you need to hear this. Especially if you struggle to believe that God loves you. Please know that God the Father loved you so much. He still loves you so much right now. And he will always love you fully and perfectly. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the amazing truth about God. Praise the Lord.

Second, John 3:16 continues with these heart-breaking words: “He gave his only Son.” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…. This is astonishing. Think about it. God the Father gave us his Son. God the Father gave to you his only Son Jesus. And now you have received Jesus.

The word “gave” is very intentional and very meaningful. It means that God the Father wanted to save you. It means that it was his sovereign plan. We did not take Jesus. We were given Jesus. And we did not even ask for Jesus. Your Father in heaven freely and lovingly gave you his Son Jesus. This is the wonderful gospel in the Bible. Praise the Lord.

And his giving was a gift of highest value and a sacrifice of greatest cost. God the Father did not give you silver or gold ot any kind of possession like that. God the Father gave you his Son. The first person of the Triune God gave you the second person of the Triune God. This is mind-blowing. The relationship between the Father and the Son is eternal and special and like no other relationship. And yet, the Father gave the Son to us in such a way that the blessed love between the Father and the Son is now shared with us. Jesus was the gift of highest value.

But God the Father did not just give you Jesus because he had nothing better to do. God the Father gave you Jesus so that Jesus would be a sacrifice for your sins. The Father gave you Jesus so that Jesus would suffer and die for you and save you. Jesus was given as a payment. Jesus was given as a redemption. Jesus was given as a substitution. Jesus was given as a salvation. For you. Jesus was the sacrifice of greatest cost. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.”

Dear Highland, this is so important to know. And you need to hear this. Especially if you struggle with discontent, loneliness, fear, worldliness, forgetfulness of the big picture, and so many other things. Please remember that you have Jesus. Jesus has been given to you. We belong to him and he belongs to us. The church is united with Christ. This is the comforting good news about Jesus. Praise the Lord.

Third and finally, John 3:16 concludes with these hope-filled words: “Whoever believes in Jesus should not perish but have eternal life.” This is absolutely good news. Think about it. If you believe in Jesus, then you will not perish. If you believe in Jesus, then you will have eternal life.

What does it mean to believe in Jesus? There is so much that I can say here. But to believe in Jesus simply means this. You believe that Jesus is God. You believe what God’s Word the Bible says about who Jesus is and what Jesus did. You confess that you are a sinner in need of salvation. You repent of your sins before Jesus. That’s it. Everything else - things like following Jesus or reading your Bible more or evangelizing or growing spiritually - everything else is stuff that comes after you first believe in Jesus. But that’s it. That’s what it means to believe in Jesus.

And if you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life. There is so much that I can say here as well. But to have eternal life simply means this. You will not perish. You will not be cursed and condemned for your sins. You will not receive the justice of God and you will not suffer the punishment of God’s eternal wrath and torment in hell. You will die physically, but you will be resurrected from death into an eternal life with God, with Jesus, in the new heavens and new earth, a time and a place without sin or suffering or death, forever. There is nothing better than this. Eternal life with God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Dear Highland, this is so important to know. And you need to hear this. Especially when you grow older and when you attend more funerals and when you face death. Please believe in Jesus. And please cling to God’s promise of eternal life with Jesus. This is the glorious future for us as the church. Praise the Lord.

Soli Deo Gloria